168 Chapter 168 Dawn Strike Approaching
Dawn’s POV 1
The helicopter pad stretched out before us as we arrived, and Corbin stood waiting by the aircraft with his arms crossed. His expression was serious as always, that focused intensity he wore before every mission. We climbed aboard quickly, settling into our designated seats and securing our equipment before the rotors began their thunderous rotation above us.
Having a senior officer accompany us on missions was standard protocol, and today that responsibility fell to Corbin. At twenty–five, he wasn’t much older than the rest of us, but his experience and rank made him our leader. Asher and J answered to him directly, and his word was final when we were in the field.
The helicopter lifted off smoothly, rising above the base as I gazed through the open window. My rifle felt familiar in my grip, loaded with silver bullets that would be devastatingly effective against our targets. The weight of it was reassuring somehow.
“What’s our flight time to the target location?” I called out over the noise of the rotors.
“Approximately four hours. We’ll arrive just before dawn breaks,” Corbin replied, his voice carrying easily despite the mechanical sounds surrounding us. “Perfect timing for a surprise attack.”
I watched the landscape blur beneath us as we climbed higher into the sky. The familiar anticipation of a mission began building in my chest.
“Is this your first field operation?” Asher asked, leaning closer so I could hear him clearly.
“No, I’ve been out once before. They sent me into Obsidian pack territory,” I answered.
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Asher’s eyes widened with genuine surprise. “Seriously? And you made it out in one piece?”
“Barely. Their Luna nearly caught me, but I managed to escape before she
could finish me off,” I explained, remembering how close that encounter had been.
“You’re incredibly lucky. Everyone knows Obsidian pack members are absolutely ruthless.”
“They certainly looked the part. Huge doesn’t even begin to describe them, and not just physically. The entire pack was massive, with more members than I’d ever seen in one place. My mission was to retrieve something from their packhouse, but I failed completely. That failure kept me benched from field work until they transferred me to this new base.” The memory of that unsuccessful operation still stung my pride.
“Corbin, what kind of numbers are we looking at with this target?” Asher asked, turning his attention to our leader.
Corbin reached into his tactical bag and pulled out a thick file, handing it to me first. “Take a look and pass it along when you’re finished.”
I opened the folder and began studying the detailed intelligence reports inside. The information was comprehensive, covering everything from pack layout to member counts and leadership structure. Our research team never ceased to amaze me with their thoroughness. They were incredibly accurate, providing precise numbers and identifying key figures like the Alpha and Luna with remarkable consistency.
The level of detail they managed to gather was truly impressive. After absorbing all the relevant information, I passed the file to Asher so he could review it as well.
“Think you can handle what we’re walking into?” Corbin asked, his eyes studying my face carefully.
“Absolutely. No problem at all,” I replied confidently, turning my attention
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back to the scenery passing below us.
I could tell he was trying to gauge my mental state, looking for signs of nervousness or hesitation. But after surviving my encounter with Obsidian pack, I doubted any other pack could possibly intimidate me to the same degree.
As I sat there contemplating our upcoming mission, I found myself puzzling over the target pack’s unusual name. ‘Wayfinders Pack‘ seemed like such an odd choice for a werewolf pack. Who would select something so ridiculous? Not that it mattered much in the long run.
This entire pack would be eliminated before the sun fully rose.
According to the intelligence report, their numbers totaled around five hundred members. That made them a medium–sized pack, not the smallest we’d encountered but certainly nowhere near the largest. We should be able to handle them efficiently, especially with the element of surprise on our side.
The tactical information even included detailed patrol schedules and warrior positioning. Getting inside their territory would be laughably easy with that kind of intelligence advantage.
I glanced over at Asher and noticed the intense concentration on his face as he studied the mission files. Something about his expression made me wonder if this might be his first real field assignment.
“Everything alright over there?” I asked.
“Yeah, just feeling the usual pre–mission jitters. I always get like this beforehand, but once we’re on the ground and moving, I’m perfectly fine,” he assured me with a slight smile.
I nodded in understanding. Everyone handled mission stress differently.
The helicopter began its descent several kilometers away from our target location to avoid detection. The sound of our approach needed to remain unheard by pack sentries. We would have to cover the remaining distance on
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foot through dense forest terrain.
It took us another full hour of careful movement through the woods to reach the pack’s outer perimeter. Corbin led our small team with practiced stealth, signaling for us to spread out into tactical formation. We raised our weapons and prepared for engagement.
The forest was eerily quiet around us as we advanced toward Wayfinders Pack territory. Dawn was still hours away, giving us the cover of darkness we needed. My heart rate increased slightly as adrenaline began flowing through my system.
This was it. Another pack was about to face complete annihilation, and we were the instruments of their destruction.
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